5 Tips for Staying Motivated to Keep Training During the Holiday Season

Staying motivated to maintain your training is not always an easy task.  Very quickly life, work, and excuses can get in the way of getting to the gym.  As the holidays approach we find ourselves over scheduled and not making time to get our regular training sessions in.  We have work parties, family parties, traveling, cookies and treats in the office, shopping, eating on the go and more parties (oh and of course yummy ho ho mint milk chocolate mocha's at Caribou). 

So in the midst of being super busy and eating differently than usual this time of year how do we stay motivated to keep up with our training routine?

Well we have 5 tips to do just that!

1.  Schedule time! This is key because if you don't schedule time into your day to train it can easily slip down your priority list and get bumped to tomorrow's to do list.  

2.  Start with 10 minutes!  Okay so now you have scheduled time, and you don't want to go...what to do?  Start with 10 minutes.  Get 10 minutes of activity in and start there.  Once you are at the gym and doing 10 minutes of whatever (walking, jogging, jumping rope, etc.) you will be more inclined to stick it out a little longer and get in a full 30-60 minute workout.  And if you don't get in more than 10 minutes, not a problem you were 10 minutes more active than you would have been if you didn't do a thing!

3.  Get a workout buddy! Training with a partner keeps you accountable.  If you have an appointment with each other you are not only accountable to yourself you are accountable to your partner.  You can keep each other motivated when you just don't want to go it alone!  Accountability is a key to success! So whether you workout buddy is a friend or your coach/trainer, make sure to make and keep those appointments!

4.  Multitask!  The holidays are a busy time and squeezing in long training sessions can be a challenge.  So multitask when you train.  Make the best use of your time in the gym.  Get in a short run and some resistance training, or do a full body conditioning workout instead of a split muscle group routine.  Get focused! What is the best use of your time, what do you need to focus your training time on?  If you are a combat athlete, focus your time of what you need to improve on, pull back on your roadwork and training what needs improving.  If you are a runner, focus your training time on running and pull back on cross training.  The point is again use your time wisely and efficiently.

5.  Find motivation within!  Saved the best for last...the best motivation is that which is found within.  This is no easy task, many of us struggle with internal motivation for a variety of reasons, but at the end of the day this is truly the key to keeping your training routine going year round.  External motivation can only get us so far and then our mind can trip us up.  It always comes back to the mental game! So spend some time discovering your internal motivation.  Why are you training?  What is your goal? If you achieve your goal what will that give you?  Peel away the layers to discover the true motivation that lies deep within! I know that I keep myself going knowing that my opponent might be training hard if not harder than me and I am going to "sweat in the gym so I don't bleed in the ring".  Whatever your own personal inner motivation is let it carry you through the holiday season and anytime getting training in feels challenging. 

You can stay on track during the holidays! Make the conscious choice to do so! Follow these 5 tips and see yourself succeed when the odds are against you! At Warrior Fighting Sports & Fitness we provide you with scheduled time, the opportunity to get those 10 minutes in, workout buddies and time efficient workouts...you provide the motivation within...and we promise you will accomplish your goals!